Volvo Trucks Launches Road Tests of Hydrogen Combustion Heavy Vehicles

Volvo Trucks has initiated on-road testing of heavy-duty vehicles powered by hydrogen combustion engines, marking progress toward commercialization before 2030.

The trucks utilize High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology developed by Cespira. This system injects a small amount of ignition fuel at high pressure to enable compression ignition before hydrogen is introduced. Volvo already employs this approach in its gas-powered truck line, which has sold more than 10,000 units globally.

According to Volvo, the hydrogen combustion trucks will deliver higher energy efficiency and greater engine power compared to conventional hydrogen combustion engine technology. The vehicles are designed to achieve an operational range exceeding many customers' daily driving requirements.

When powered by green hydrogen with renewable HVO as ignition fuel, the trucks have potential to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions on a well-to-wheel basis. Under EU CO2 emission standards, they are classified as zero emission vehicles (ZEVs).

Originally reported by Hydrogen Europe. Read the full article →